The Committee for Relevant Art (CORA), the driving force behind the annual Lagos Book & Art Festival (LABAF), has declared the commencement of submissions for the prestigious “Ken Saro-Wiwa Prize for Book Review 2023”.
The prize is a tribute to the life and legacy of renowned writer and environmental activist Ken Saro-Wiwa, who tragically lost his life on November 10, 1995.
The prize is designed to foster a culture of reading and active engagement with published works, echoing the fundamental mission of CORA and its flagship project, the LABAF.
The theme for the 2023 edition is ‘The Reset: History and the Darkling Plain’.
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The competition stipulates a review of the drama text “GRIT” by Obari Gomba, the recipient of the Nigeria LNG-sponsored 2023 Nigeria Prize for Literature, valued at $100,000.
Reviews should be comprehensive yet concise, with a word limit set between 800 and 1500 words. The competition is exclusively open to individuals aged between 18 and 25 years.
Submissions are to be sent to coralabaf@gmail.com by noon on November 10, 2023. The shortlisted entries will be unveiled on November 13, with the winner being announced on November 15. The award ceremony will take place on November 17 at Freedom Park, Lagos.
This initiative serves as a significant stride towards cultivating a deep appreciation for literature and critical discourse, particularly in the genres that were the hallmark of the late author Ken Saro-Wiwa’s distinguished writing career.